Courtyard Waltz
by Zelda-FF
Summary: Lili Zwingli goes to her first high school dance, but it isn't at all what she expects.  Luckily, the night is turned around when a scruffy British prince rescues her.


Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia~

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><p>Arthur irritably pushed a certain Frenchman attempting to grind on him away, sharp eyes fixed on one thing. The pale, angelic-like girl almost glowed in the dimly lit room as she leaned against the wall; she wasn't a wallflower, however-at least not to him.<p>

She did look rather out of place, though. Her soft, innocent eyes were round as saucers, unused to and seemingly petrified by the sight before her. A silver-haired male was "dancing" with a feminine blond boy in a short dress, both red faced and apparently damp with sweat. The German and Italian couple were doing the same, albeit in a much more clumsy manner. Francis moved from person to person, his expression blatantly conveying he wanted more than just a dance. She averted her gaze, flushing and praying for him to pass her by. Moments later, her rowdy, energetic girlfriends strained to drag her into the throng. She only shook her little blond head violently, her high-heeled feet staying stubbornly rooted to the spot. They shrugged and swiftly left her, the gentle girl letting out an apparently heavy and relieved sigh.

He mustered up his courage and hesitantly walked over to her. She had her head leaned back and her eyes closed, feeling the beat pulsing through the walls as she sought a moment of solace. He nearly forgot why he was even standing there as he fidgeted awkwardly. "U-uh, Lili?"

Her eyes snapped open, a panicked expression taking over her gentle features as she eyed him. He cursed inwardly; she was probably thinking he was as bad as Francis. He didn't make a move to pursue her when she began to inch away from him, somewhat resembling cautious prey spotted by a predator.

"Wait a moment," Arthur called, holding his hands up as if to prove he was harmless, "I-I was just wondering…ah…you look a bit…uncomfortable, and frankly, I'm not enjoying this either, so won't you join me outside? Er, I need some fresh air, it's rather stuffy in here…" He rarely fumbled over his words, incredibly ashamed of himself for botching the English language so. An embarrassed color burned his cheeks.

Lili still looked apprehensive, but stopped her gradual retreat. "I-I don't know, bruder told me not to go off with any boys…" she mumbled, gaze flicking from his to the dance floor, as if waiting for someone to save her.

"I swear my intentions of escorting a bored lady out to the courtyard are strictly honorable…I don't think I'm the type of person your brother is referring to." His eyes slid to the mass of bodies and found his French "friend" harassing the girl from Seychelles. She followed his gaze and shuddered, taking his arm without another thought.

Like the gentleman he was, he shot icy glares to other hormone-influenced boys to repel them from the delicate German girl. She seemed oblivious to the wandering eyes of her classmates, yet was fervently latched to his arm as they skirted the center of the cafeteria-turned dance floor. Arthur hated to admit it to himself, but he liked her hanging onto him the way she was and wondered if he'd have to keep an eye on himself as well.

Upon entering the courtyard, a small oasis surrounded by concrete and bricks, the pair eagerly inhaled the cool night air. Arthur's skipping heart dropped slightly when she pulled away from him, letting go of his arm and taking a seat on the wooden bench under the weeping willow. He admired the way the moonbeams reaching through the branches of the tree created a pattern of shadows and pale, milky skin. He also took notice of the way she smoothed her dress, crossed her legs, and folded her hands neatly on her lap after she sat; this girl was the pure epitome of elegance. It wasn't until she cleared her throat politely that he noticed he was staring. It was too late for him to look away and deny it so he joined her, making sure there was a suitable distance between them.

"Thank you…" Lili murmured softly, looking shyly up at him. He couldn't help but find her voice a beautiful contrast to the thumping, incoherent racket back inside. Her soft gaze shifted to her hands as she continued, "I-I've never really been to a dance like this, so, um…"

Arthur felt a small smile threatening to crack on his lips and replied, "Yes, it is rather overwhelming, isn't it? As for me, I don't really like these silly events." For emphasis, he shrugged nonchalantly.

Her lips turned down into a slight pout, prying her eyes from him for a moment to examine her hands, looking as if she was trying with all her might to keep from fidgeting nervously. "Mm…" Lili hummed, seeming to be choosing her words carefully, "I expected something…very different,"

Arthur nodded for her to continue, scooting just a bit closer to her (so he could hear her better). She hadn't noticed, but her doe eyes flicked up to meet his and she smiled sheepishly, as if embarrassed at what she was about to say. "W-well, the dancing…it's…"

"That's not dancing, that's-" he began to scoff before realizing his company. Under other circumstances, he would have finished with 'clothed sex' but Lili was too sweet and naïve; besides, it would have been incredibly un-gentlemanly. The Briton censored his response, "-completely inappropriate."

She nodded, pulling her gaze away from him again and causing Arthur to raise his bushy eyebrows in concern. Lili began to twiddle her thumbs slightly as she began to speak again, "I-I was imagining more of a C-Cinderella-type thing with cl-classical music. I-I don't know…" The girl laughed dryly at her own fantasy but disappointment was apparent in her eyes. "S-silly, isn't it?"

The blond male shook his head to cheer her up, but didn't dare to reach out to touch her hand; she was likely still skittish from earlier. "Of course it isn't; that sounds far more appealing than the pandemonium inside." he assured her, though 'pandemonium' was only scratching the surface of the school event-especially with classmates like theirs. She tilted her head to face him, all but stunning him with her genuine smile.

"You don't have to say that…" the soft-spoken girl mumbled, unknowingly enchanting the boy next to her with her batting eyelashes. It took him all his strength to hold himself back; he obviously didn't want to do anything to scare her or make her uncomfortable. Lili continued as she played with the fabric of her dress, mainly addressing herself, "I-I really k-kind of wanted to feel like a princess, though…"

Within a second he was on his feet, trying to keep a solemn expression, and stood before her. Lili quirked an eyebrow, keeping her eyes on him as if cautious. The British teen bowed slightly before offering a hand to her, beginning to shakily hum the opening to Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers." Her shy smile grew into a surprised but thrilled grin, to his relief. With a playful little giggle, her dainty hand took his and he led her to the center of the courtyard.

The petite girl curtsied gracefully then rested a hand on his shoulder, the other holding her gentleman's hand in midair. Arthur began to stumble on a few of the notes, but to the rescue came a higher, softer voice from just in front of him. She was like a singing princess right out of an animated kid's movie; the notes from her pretty little lips were like those of bells or songbirds. For a moment, he completely forgot where he was and what he was doing, but a murmured, "Arthur?" pulled from his daydream.

He silently thanked his very traditional mother for teaching him to waltz, because Lili herself was an exceptional dancer. The pair danced and twirled until their voices began to grow hoarse from the humming and wordless singing, both smiling so widely they were nearly beaming. Arthur wasn't one to grin or show his inner elation, but it was hard to be serious with the shy girl. She'd made their dance even more enjoyable and fun by spontaneously by singing so high she sounded like an opera singer or abruptly trying to lead _him._

How Arthur hadn't noticed her before was beyond him, but after receiving a thank you peck on the cheek, he figured it didn't matter anymore. Lili was his secret princess, and as long as he could withstand her overbearing brother, he would be her prince.

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><p>AN: WOW I'm not dead. Sorry for not coming out with new chapters for my non-one-shots. Dx This was just sitting in my computer rotting away, so I had to finish it. So um.

Yeah it seems kind of rushed, bite me. :c And...yeah, not really much to say about this. Next to (hopefully) finish today is a US x Liechtenstein AU one-shot. LET'S GO~


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